lost souls
by self-harm.self-indulgence
Summary: A bit fluffy! Albus and Minerva have a love child who comes to Hogwarts and falls for Snape reads better than this!
1. prologue

I do not own any of the J.K.R characters (but lets face it, we all wish we did). I have created very few that are my own.  
  
Lost souls  
  
Prologue  
  
Once upon a time in castle in the north of England there was a young woman called Minerva McGonagall, she had been working at Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry for seven years. She had stern features, dark brown hair and a sharp wit. She was highly intelligent and completely in love with one of her fellow teachers. A month ago, at the end of year feast, Albus Dumbledore had shown signs of returning her affection, most notably by the fact that he took her to bed. Now the transfiguration teacher found herself pregnant and with no hope of winning his heart, or him making an honourable woman of her. She tried to write letters to him but found them all too forced and she just couldn't get the point across. How hard was it exactly to say 'I'm having a baby, it's yours'? Evidently very hard as the more she said it to herself – the more she disbelieved it.  
  
She eventually came to a decision, and wrote a letter to Dippit, not mentioning the coming child.  
  
Dear Mr.Dippit, Due to the fact that I feel I have a job for life at Hogwarts, I would be ever so grateful if you would allow me a year to travel before I settle myself in for the long hall, as it were. I would be happy to help in the search for a replacement; I would however be overjoyed if you were to let me return after my years sabbatical. Yours sincerely, Minerva McGonagall.  
  
A reply of consent came to her. Minerva, set off to the south of France to be with her mother.  
  
'You cannot keep the child!' her mother said 'you will have it, but you will give it away.' The words hit Minerva like lead. She had known her mother would know what to do, but she had not expected this. 'Albus Dumbledore is headed for great things, he does not need a baby cluttering up his life.' She said levelly, and kindly. 'Don't you think I should at least ask him how he feels about the baby?' the girl asked 'No. You tell that man and he will feel an obligation – it will ruin him. No, you will put the baby up for adoption.' Minerva knew the woman's words were wise.  
  
That night she did not sleep. She lay, her mind racing. She would have to put the baby up for adoption. But It all felt so final.  
  
'I have some friends' her mother said 'the Trinity's. They have no children of there own, but would like some.' This was said as disinterestedly as a comment about the weather. 'What are they like?' Minerva asked. 'They are slightly older than you. Work for the ministry. I went to Hogwarts with his mother.' She said distractedly. 'Are they nice?' 'I haven't met them. Perhaps you should, before the handing over.' She said thinking it for the first time. 'Dammed right I will! I want to make the right choice mother.' She said hotly. 'I'm not just handing out my child willy-nilly!' 'No one was asking you too do such a thing!' her mother said laughing. Minerva thought that this was precisely what was being asked of her.  
  
The next April, she gave birth to a beautiful girl, whom she called Jenny. Jenny had piercing blue eyes like her fathers, a pointed nose like her mothers and by the end of May a wicked cackle of a laugh and a wide grin. In June the Trinity's took the small baby away. The one thing that McGonagall really noticed about the couple were their brown eyes.  
  
N/B I'm not entirely sure what my next step is... I think the rest is Jenny's tale, but I can't be bothered with child hood – so I'll skip to the juicy stuff. I think I have many cool fan fic Ideas but I'm crap at communicating them. Stick with me folks. Chloë. 


	2. chapter one

Chapter one.  
  
She tore a comb through her hair and turned to face her seventh year boyfriend. 'Remus, I will have to leave! I have an exam and if I get found in Griffindor...' 'They will have your guts for garters. Yep. Got it.' He hastily withdrew from the covers and walked to where she stood at the mirror 'Jenny my love, have you thought some more about my proposal?' he kissed her cheek lightly. 'I have but I'm still not sure. I'm only sixteen Remus.' She sank onto his bed and started lacing up her shoes. 'Remus, as a prefect if I get found here...' 'Ok! What time is it?' 'Six thirty.' 'That early? Oh take me back to bed.' He pleaded. 'I need to revise and I need to be in my own house.' She hurried to the door and held it open. 'I'll see you at breakfast?' she said smiling. 'Absolutely. I love you Jenny.' He kissed her on the lips and she hastened down the prefect corridor and out of sight. When she reached her own dorm she shut the door and leant on it. 'I know you do, you silly fool.' She said aloud. But she smiled at the thought of it and sank onto her bed.  
  
Minerva McGonagall was nearing fifty; she had been at the school for twenty- four years – including her year 'Sabbatical'. She no longer harboured feelings for her colleague Albus Dumbledore, but they remained close friends. He had admitted in the early seventies, that he had not expected her or him to be at the school as long as they had been, so taking her to bed had been a slight over sight on his part. And he hoped she was ok with it. It had been then that she realised he was never going to make an honest woman of her and she had to move on. And in the years since that 'little chat', she had. She now sat in her apartments within Hogwarts. She was looking over the list of new students for the next year. Every year more children passed in and out of Hogwarts than she cared to remember. But one student had caught her eye this time six years ago. Jenny Trinity's name shone from the parchment, her Daughter was of age and she had made it into Hogwarts. She remembered that moment with great pride and told herself that it was nature not nurture that had got her on the list. She had thought then that she could get to know her daughter, be her favourite teacher, offer her advise. But the day of the sorting proved her wrong.  
  
'Trinity, Jenny' Minerva called loudly. A small girl with blazing red hair approached the sorting hat. Jenny's mother took the hat and placed it on her head, the two of them both noticed an electric shock that passed between them. After a few moments (the young girl biting her lip furiously) the sorting hat said, loud and triumphant 'Slitherin!' the word hung in the air, like smoke. Minerva recollecting herself pulled the hat from the girl's head. She stared at her dumbly. Nurture then, she told her self. Jenny's face split into a grin, and she joined the other Slitherin's. Minerva was devastated.  
  
Jenny however remembered the situation differently.  
  
Her name was called, and she sat on the stool. Suddenly seeing all the students for the first time, her eyes goggled. The witch who put the sorting hat on her, looked intently into her eyes, Jenny saw sparks in them. She decided she was just nervous and was imagining things. The old hat laughed heartily. 'O!' It said. 'You cannot be serious, you cannot be real.' The voice was rich and plumy and disbelieving. Jenny thought intently of how real she was. The hat continued. 'What would most outrage them both?' the hat mused. 'Two Grffindors with a... SLITHERIN!' The hat bellowed. It cackled. I don't want to be a Slitherin! There bad! She thought, I have good hufflepuf parents. The hat stopped laughing abruptly 'O this is too good' it said 'I have too much fun!' The hat was pulled from her head; she looked up at the witch, McGonagall. McGonagall was giving her an odd look, it was pity. Jenny's eyes welled with tears as she sat at the Slitherin table, she put on a brave smile, but inside she was breaking – what would her parents say? 


	3. chapter two

**chapter two**

At breakfast, Jenny stared into space, lost in her own thoughts, her eyes rested on Remus, it's just too horrible, she thought I can't marry him. She shuddered all over and looked down at her bowl.

Severus looked at her intently over his post, his greasy hair fell before his eyes and his watching went unnoticed (as did nearly everything else he did). Jenny looked up at him over the brim of her glasses and he promptly turned away.

After breakfast she walked numbly to charms, where she went over revision notes with her Slitherin friend Octavia Winterbottom, who had aspirations to become a code breaker at Gringotts until she got married (Jenny thought her rather insipid).

After her herbology class, the newly appointed professor Sprout told her to 'buck' up and 'stop daydreaming', reminding her that the end of year exams were very soon and that if she failed them she would not be back next year.

Similar things had been said to her all week by her other professors, all in fact apart from Professor McGonagall. Who barely spoke to Jenny, gave her average reports and marks, and didn't attempt a relationship with her. Jenny knew her transfiguration teacher didn't like her and most would just accept it, but jenny for some reason found that she wanted her teacher to like her.

That lunchtime Jenny found Remus. With little delicacy she told him why she would not marry him. ('It's a stupid idea!' she said 'we're far too young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us.') And Remus told Jenny with little delicacy why they should no longer be together. ('I was such a fool. Honestly, why did I think it was a good idea to go out with a Slitherin?') And that was how they finished their relationship.

Minerva was in a very good mood. She had received a letter from her attorney informing her of her father's death and that she was to inherit his house in Angus. She saw ahead of her a long summer refurbishing it with Donald or Malcolm.

Minerva McGonagall was widely reported as one of the most eligible witches in the UK, not only was she beautiful, but her work for the ministry was extensive.

'Witch weekly' latched onto any story concerning her, but Minerva lived in the fear that they would one day discover she had a hideous estranged daughter, who was in Slitherin and who she had heartlessly given to the Trinity family.

At the end of her sixth year transfiguration lesson Minerva gave the students some final advice for their exam, which was to take place the next day, and dismissed them.

She gathered books from the desks and sat down to plan her lessons for the following week. She was spiralling into a depression at the amount of work she still had to do that evening when there was a knock at her door.

'May I come in?' Remus said.

For the following hour Remus cried heartily on her shoulder and she discovered just how much her daughter was like her. Level headed, strong willed, sexy and slightly heartless. It was then that she resolved to get to know her daughter better.

N/B: hummm...


	4. Chapter Three

Jenny lay awake. The insistent snoring of her fellow housemates was driving her to distraction. She contemplated reading, doing some work in the common room. Eventually she came to the conclusion that she needed a walk.

As she shuffled into the Slitherin common room she checked her watch. 2am. She pulled her dressing gown tight and sat beside the fire, which was emitting green flames. The rest of the room was swathed in darkness; she admitted to herself that she was absolutely petrified and that she aught to go back to bed, when something shifted in the darkness. She screamed.

Severus put a hand over her mouth and sat down beside her.

'You scared the life out of me!' she said breathlessly and excitedly.

'Sorry' he replied 'I didn't mean to. I often sit up at night.'

'In the darkness?' she stared at him avidly waiting for a reply eventually she continued. 'Why do you stay up? You do sleep don't you?'

'Of course I do.' He laughed 'I just don't need much' her eyes shone bright in the darkness. He concentrated on her face for a long time. Eventually when it had become too uncomfortable she turned away.

'What do you do in the dark then?' she said standing and sitting on the floor before the fire. She poked at the ashes, he did not speak. 'Well?' she said.

'Nothing much.' He said sitting beside her. He drew patterns in the ash by the fire.

She felt a distinct feeling of foreboding. 'Then why do it?' she said.

He did not answer.

'Are you still with Lupin?' he said venomously.

'No.' She said flatly.

'Good' he replied.

She felt that she should defend herself. She aught to have had it out with him for speaking that way about Remus. But found that she didn't want to argue with him. Instead, Jenny nodded.

She watched his fingers moving in the ash. Strange patterns and images immerged. He drew horses and birds. Faces and eyes. They sat in companionable silence and watched the flames.

For want of a better thing to say Jenny said 'I've never understood why they dislike you so much.'

'Who?' he asked innocently, as he brushed the ashes so that the pictures smudged and blurred.

'Remus and …' he stopped her before she could continue.

'I don't like to think about it.' He said angrily.

She stood up brushing the ash from her dressing gown. 'I had better get back to bed.' She said checking her wristwatch, nearly 3.

'Don't go yet.' He said gently. He reached up and took her hand. He looked up at her, his face completely in shadow.

'It's late. I've got an exam tomorrow…' she tried to pull away, his grip tightened.

'Stay with me.' He whispered pulling her down.

She sat down next to him, only much closer than she would have liked. After a moment he tucked a lose strand of her hair behind her ear. And then planted a kiss on her jaw line, just below her ear.

She felt herself grow hot. She tried to stand again, not liking this new sensation, this yearning for him. He put his arms around her and kept her down, he kissed her deeply. She let him kiss her, her lips moved beneath his. She could feel her heart racing, her breath caught in her chest and she gave in.

Later she lay next to him in his small dark room, and although it was June she shivered under his covers and closer to him. Realising that she had to be in her own bed she made to leave. He was sleeping soundly and as she crept out of bed he stirred. She planted a kiss on his forehead and swiftly left the room.

The clock above the fire in the common room had struck five by the time Jenny got to bed. She clutched her dressing gown around her and half ran back to her dormitory. She slipped beneath the covers and at last, she fell asleep.


	5. Chapter Four

Dim light awoke jenny, she crawled out of bed and into the bathroom. Octavia looked at her disapprovingly; 'what were you doing last night? You look like Death.' Jenny who was now looking at herself in the mirror had to admit that she looked pretty rough. Octavia walked away down the corridor to breakfast. Jenny threw on her robes and arrived in the great hall as Severus did.

'Morning' he said gruffly.

'Morning' she replied with an awkward smile. He took her hand, she hastily shock him off. He gave her an affronted look and put his hands in his pockets. They sat opposite each other. Throughout breakfast, as she tried to swallow toast, he quizzed her on Transfiguration. She found that she was quite dreadful, and was in fact rubbish at the subject.

'Oh God!' she said putting her head in her hands 'I'm going to totally fail this!'

'I have every confidence in you' he said. She laughed. He looked at her frowningly and left.

A bell rang from afar and the Hall began to clear. She followed her fellow sixth years into the anti chamber off the great hall and waited for the call. Eventually they where called in and she sat at her desk ready to take the exam.

But all she could think about was Severus and that she had upset him. She struggled to write more than two paragraphs on human transfiguration. And barely wrote a page on the control of animagus (her specialised subject). When she turned the final page and realised that she couldn't answer on the reversal of Kentauros mammals, she put her head on the desk and wept.

At break she dully walked to her dormitory and lay down. Her head pounding. Her chest in agony.

She heard the shrieks of younger students in the common room. And tried to cover her head with her pillow. When a loud burst of laughter reached her ears she leapt out of bed and stormed into the common room.

'Will you all please SHUT UP!' she bellowed.

The fourth years stood and left the common room, muttering abuse at her.

Jenny stood alone in the dim room; she sat on one of the leather sofas and picked up a copy of witch weekly that had been left on one of the tables. She flicked through and came across an article on Minerva McGonagall.

'…_McGonagall was recently connected with the writer Malcolm Lewis. Is this another notch on her bedpost? …'_ Jenny closed the magazine and resolved to do better.

She left the common room and made her way to her herbology class.

Jenny went over with Sprout what she was still finding difficult and moaned about the exam with her fellow classmates.

As she left the greenhouse she met Severus.

'I was looking for you.' He said.

From the opposite side of the lake, Remus watched the two figures in conversation. He saw them laugh and heard it faintly across the water. Something boiled within him.

'What is it?' Sirius said

Remus did not reply.

Sirius followed his gaze and saw Jenny talking with Severus.

'Oh, him.' He said turning to James.

'I'll kill him.' Remus said quietly.

Peter laughed, the three taller boys looked at him darkly. 'Sorry' he said.

Peter who felt they were very much over dramatising what they had seen, headed to the library and decided to not get involved in this confrontation. He was bored of their constant warring with Snape, as far as Peter was concerned he was a nice chap. A bit greasy, but what can you do? Peter had terrible acne, but no one was as horrible to him as they were to Snape. Peter decided he was going to get his grades this year and not go off gallivanting in the night.

That afternoon Jenny, while in her charms lesson, was called to McGonagall's office. She suspected that the cause of this meeting would be about the exam. She was very wrong.

'Miss Trinity, do come in. sit down.' McGonagall shut the door behind Jenny and sat behind her desk.

'I was approached yesterday by Remus Lupin.' She leaned heavily on her desk and looked Jenny in the eye.

'Oh.' Jenny said taken aback.

'He's very upset.' McGonagall continued. 'I don't usually get involved in such matters as these, you really aught to be able to resolve them yourself.' She said smiling. 'But Remus Lupin is a very bright young man; he needs to do well this year.'

'You want me to go out with him for the sake of his grades? What about mine?' Jenny said outraged 'I completely fluffed my exam today because of this! I'm sorry, I wont do it.' she sat back in her chair.

'Jenny think this through, do this for me, please. Do this and I will help you get back into Hogwarts next year? Because, lets face it, your not going to do it with your grades.'

Jenny stood and made her way to the door. 'Think it over Jenny.' McGonagall called after her.

The door slammed shut and Minerva sank into her chair despairingly.


	6. Chapter Five

Jenny stood for sometime outside McGonagall's room, she was breathing very heavily and thought she might explode with rage. She knew that McGonagall was right; it was now almost impossible for her to get back into Hogwarts next year without her help. So with a heavy heart she tuned back towards McGonagall's office and knocked sharply on the door.

'Enter' came her shrill reply and Jenny opened the door.

'Professor,' Jenny said 'I'll do it.'

'Good-o, leave it to me Miss Trinity and we shall see you next year' she said brightly. McGonagall's smile was bittersweet and Jenny mistrusted it, Jenny held out her hand to McGonagall.

'Is that a promise professor?'

McGonagall took her hand and said whole-heartedly 'It most certainly is.'

As Jenny left McGonagall's office the bell rang, she was hurrying to claim her books from charms when she heard jeering from the grounds. She looked out of a window curiously and saw to her horror that Remus was having a fistfight with Severus.

Her books forgotten she ran to the main staircase and dashed down the stairs into the hall, past confused students ambling in for lunch, and out into the brilliant sunlight.

'They started jinxing each other' her friend Octavia said as she approached the crowed 'and then they just started beating the crap out of each other!'

Jenny tugged at the assembled crowed, trying to get closer to the centre, people moved aside easily knowing that her arrival was only going to enhance the entertainment.

She stood at the edge of the circle for a moment startled and scared. Severus was on his back attempting to throw off Remus who was taking repeating blows at his nose. She took a deep breath and, knowing that she had to save herself more that Severus, grabbed at the back of Remus' robes. She pulled him to a standing position by his waist and pressed herself into his back. Slowly he staggered back from Severus, she put her lips to his ear 'Let me explain,' she said 'let me tell you how this is all going to work out.'

He turned to look at her, a cut on his cheek was bleeding heavily and his nose was off centre.

'Come on' she said 'we should get you to the hospital wing' he leant painfully on her shoulder ad together they parted the crowed and made their way into the castle.

Jenny looked back at Severus who lay breathless and wincing as he attempted to stand, he looked back at her with wide piercing eyes.


	7. Chapter Six

'That looks so painful' Jenny said touching Remus' cheek gingerly.

They were in the hospital wing, Remus was stretched out on the bed and Jenny sat beside him, while Madam Pomfry hovered over them with her wand tuting and telling Remus how stupid he was.

Remus looked at Jenny intently, 'what's all this about Jenny?'

She withdrew her hand and looked sharply at her feet.

Madam Pomfry bustled away, leaving the two alone (which was rather tactful for her!)

Jenny opened her mouth to speak, but Remus stopped her.

'I should not have asked you to marry me, it was a stupid, foolish thing to do.' He said and smiled.

She breathed a sigh of relief 'I admit, that was what scared me most.'

He took her hand and laughed. She wondered vaguely if he had concussion.

'I'm sorry Remus' she said looking up at him

'Nothing to be sorry for Jenny' he said whole-heartedly.

Jenny stared wildly, looking for the healer 'Madam Pomfry, is he concust?'

'Hey!' Remus said laughing again.

Madam Pomfry appeared from her office 'Oh yes dear he's quite delirious.'

'Oh' Remus said.

Jenny now satisfied that nothing said here was going to make any difference, stood and headed for the Slitherin common room, where she could conduct her excuses for a later meeting, when Remus could remember it.

On the stairs down to the dungeons she met Severus walking up.

'Severus, I –'

'No need to explain Jenny' he spat at her 'it seems perfectly obvious that you've made your choice.' And he carried on walking.

Jenny turned and took his hand, pulling him back to her.

'The choice was made for me!' she pulled him towards her, pressing herself against him. 'If I don't patch things up with Remus I won't be able to come back next year, I haven't done well enough because of all this stuff that's been going on!' she wailed. ' I want you, I just have to pretend for the rest of term, its not long now.'

'Who made the choice for you?' Severus said finally putting his arms around her.

'Professor McGonagall' she replied.

He drew her closer to him and they kissed, until he gasped.

'What?' Jenny said looking at him cautiously.

'My nose' he said 'I think he broke it.' She laughed and kissed abnormally large nose.

'Get yourself to the hospital wing.' She told him

'We'll talk more later' he said over his shoulder and he disappeared into the light.

'That was a terrible thing to do!' Albus said later that evening. Him and Minerva were drinking tea in his office.

'I know' she said putting her head in her hands and sinking onto his desk 'I feel awful' then she laughed, 'Well it will keep her here at least. I know how her mind works' she gave as a reply to his confused stare 'she thought that by failing she could leave Hogwarts and be done with it all. But that's the last thing I want her to do.'

'Oh, why?' Albus asked nonplussed.

Minerva faulted, she had said too much – she had felt the need to tell someone and Albus had seemed the like the only person she could tell. Now she realised that the truth was not appropriate and that she would have to concoct a lie. Something she had never been good at.

'No particular reason' she bluffed 'she's a good student –'

'Really?' Albus interrupted 'I never saw that in her'

'She's a valuable accept to the school'

'I trust your opinion of course, you must see hidden qualities within her' he said taking a sip of his tea.

She breathed a sigh of relief and took a bite of her biscuit.

'All the same' he said 'very underhand of you' she felt her was about to reproach her when he said 'I'm impressed'. They smiled fondly at each other across the desk.

N/B: All right smart arse (snarkastic)! Thanks for the spell check. I changed computer recently and only have recent chapters to change and quite frankly can't be arsed. In future will remember Slytherin. Thanks.


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